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<br />The Elk River Vision <br />A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional <br />service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity <br /> <br />Request for Action <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />To <br />Parks and Recreation Commission <br />Item Number <br />8.1 <br />Agenda Section <br />Discussion Item <br />Meeting Date <br />November 10, 2021 <br />Prepared by <br />Michael Hecker, Parks and Recreation Director <br />Item Description <br />Invasive Species Management <br />Reviewed by <br />Tim Sevcik, Streets and Parks Superintendent <br />Reviewed by <br />Cal Portner, City Administrator <br /> <br />Action Requested <br />Discussion of a dedicated funding source to contract services on an annual basis to conduct invasive species <br />management. <br /> <br />Background/Discussion <br />The master plan for Woodland Trails Regional Park (WTRP) states invasive species management is a high <br />priority, and it should be considered as time and resources permit. Commissioner Dave Anderson recently <br />presented to City Council they consider a consistent dedicated funding source for buckthorn removal at <br />WTRP. <br /> <br />Buckthorn is an extremely labor-intensive operation that takes dedicated funding and resources for decades to <br />be successful. By conducting the buckthorn work as part of the recent WTRP grant, we were able to utilize <br />$50,000 from the park maintenance operating budget as a cash match ($25,000 in 2021 and $25,000 in 2020) <br />and $30,000 from the grant for a total of $70,000 for buckthorn removal. <br /> <br />Is the Commission interested in the city to have a dedicated funding source to contract services on an annual <br />basis to conduct invasive species management? <br /> <br />Financial Impact <br />Dedicated funding could come from the city’s park maintenance operating budget or the Park <br />Improvement Fund. <br /> <br />Attachments <br /> None <br />